Golf In The Family (Business)

First, Golfsmith closed all its stores and almost all the independents have closed as well. Klees Golf Shop on the south side and Ace Pro Shop on the northwest side are the last golf shops standing in 2017, seven years after the Great Recession ended.

Interestingly, Klees Golf Shop was the only pro shop on the south side still in business seven years after the Great Depression ended in 1946. Sheer determination, sacrifice and outside income made that possible then and today.

Second, the verbal rumblings about merging South Shore Golf Course and Jackson Park Golf Course may actually become machinery rumbling by the end of this year, along with the construction of the President Obama Library. This is no easy task and there will be lots of people watching to make sure Jackson Park, a Frederick Law Olmsted creation, is not materially altered as a result.

First, Golfsmith closed all its stores and almost all the independents have closed as well. Klees Golf Shop on the south side and Ace Pro Shop on the northwest side are the last golf shops standing in 2017, seven years after the Great Recession ended.

Interestingly, Klees Golf Shop was the only pro shop on the south side still in business seven years after the Great Depression ended in 1946. Sheer determination, sacrifice and outside income made that possible then and today.

Second, the verbal rumblings about merging South Shore Golf Course and Jackson Park Golf Course may actually become machinery rumbling by the end of this year, along with the construction of the President Obama Library. This is no easy task and there will be lots of people watching to make sure Jackson Park, a Frederick Law Olmsted creation, is not materially altered as a result.

The Titleist rep dropped off a custom 714 AP2 iron set that a PGA pro had ordered and maybe hit three or four irons. The set had KBS Tour X-stiff shafts, which few golfers can hit, so we put them on eBay. I listed them twice - lots of viewers but no bidders.

When the 2nd listing ended I got an email from an eBay buyer who wanted to know if he could trade in a new set of AP2 irons, same model, for the ones we had with the KBS shafts. Charlie took over from there and the two of them agreed on a trade plus $100.

The buyer was at one time an assistant pro at a country club but decided to become a preacher. The set of AP2 irons he ordered was sent back to Titleist TWICE: once for lie/loft corrections and a second time because the chrome was peeling off some of the irons. The guy decided the set wasn't right for him or for his son, a junior high student whose coach said the kid needed x-stiff shafts.

Now, how many 13 or 14 year old boys do you know who should be hitting KBS Tour X-Stiff shafts?